1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable communication machine and a vehicular communication system using the same preferable when it is intended to remotely operate to unlock or lock a vehicular door, or start an engine, operate a vehicle-mounted information apparatus, or confirm or monitor a vehicular state.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a related art, as a vehicular communication system for promoting a convenience of an automobile, there is known a keyless entry system in which a vehicular door is remotely unlocked or locked with a wireless signal such as an infrared ray transmitted by way of an operating switch of a portable communication machine as described in, for example, Patent Reference 1. According to the keyless entry system, the portable communication machine transmits a signal including an identification data for identifying the portable communication machine and the signal is received and checked by a vehicle-mounted machine to unlock or lock a door of a vehicle.
Further, in order to promote the convenience, as described in Patent Reference 2, there is also known a keyless entry system in which communication of identification data and a signal processing between a vehicle-mounted machine and a portable communication machine is automatically carried out by operating a switch provided on a side of a vehicle door instead of a switching operation by a user carrying a portable communication machine by taking out the portable communication machine from, for example, a bag. According to the keyless entry system, the vehicle-mounted machine transmits a request signal by an LF signal to the portable communication machine. The portable communication machine is awakened from a standby state when the request signal is received and transmits a signal including the identification data. The vehicle-mounted machine receives and checks the signal and unlocks or locks the door of the vehicle.
Further, in recent years, there is also proposed a keyless entry system utilizing a portable terminal of a portable telephone or PDA which has been spread remarkably. When a portable telephone or PDA is carried to utilize as a portable communication machine for an automobile, it is not necessary to carry a key of an automobile, which is convenient. As such a keyless entry system, there are, for example, Patent References 3 through 5. Among the References, communication media between a portable telephone and a vehicle-mounted machine respectively differ from each other, according to Patent Reference 3, in communicating a vehicle-mounted machine and a portable telephone, the communication is carried out by way of a public network. According to Patent Reference 4, communication is carried out by utilizing a weak radio wave of a frequency band of a portable telephone or a radio wave by Bluetooth standards. According to Patent Reference 5, in communicating between a portable machine of PDA or the like and a vehicle-mounted machine, communication is carried out by utilizing the radio wave by Bluetooth standards.
As other vehicular communication system, there is known a vehicular information confirming system for confirming vehicular information including security of a vehicle disposed remotely from a user by displaying the vehicular information by a portable communication machine. For example, according to Patent Reference 6, a vehicle-mounted machine receiving a request signal from a portable communication machine transmits vehicular information of a state of door lock or brake, a vehicular position image or the like to the portable communication machine wherein the signal is displayed.
Also in the vehicular information confirming system, similar to the keyless entry system, there is proposed a vehicular information confirming system utilizing a portable telephone as a portable communication machine. For example, according to Patent Reference 7, vehicular information is transmitted and received by way of wireless communication of Bluetooth standards. By utilizing a portable telephone, a user interface such as a highly chromatic display device mounted to the portable telephone as standard specification, and inputting means can be utilized and the convenience can be promoted by changing a software.
Further, in recent years, a vehicle mounted with an information apparatus of a car navigation apparatus or the like is increasing, and there is proposed a system of utilizing a portable communication machine of a keyless entry system for setting a destination or the like. For example, according to Patent Reference 8, by forming control data for setting a destination for a car navigation apparatus by a personal computer and transmitting the control data to the car navigation apparatus by way of a portable communication machine and receiving means of a vehicle-mounted machine in keyless entry, an operation of setting a destination is simplified and convenience is promoted.    Patent Reference 1: JP-A-1-192970    Patent Reference 2: JP-A-10-176448    Patent Reference 3: JP-A-8-234524    Patent Reference 4: JP-A-2001-193324    Patent Reference 5: JP-A-2002-115438    Patent Reference 6: JP-A-2000-266563    Patent Reference 7: JP-A-2005-297819    Patent Reference 8: JP-A-2004-108016
However, according to the keyless entry system of the related art described in Patent References 1 and 2, and the vehicular information confirming system of the related art described in Patent Reference 6, despite the constitution having a similar wireless portion, an operation switch or display means on a vehicle cannot be made common, and there is an inconvenience that a user requesting both of a keyless entry function and a vehicular information confirming function carries respective exclusive portable communication machines. Further, when the portable communication machine of the keyless entry system of the related art and the portable communication machine of the vehicular information confirming system of the related art are unified, a problem of enlarging the portable communication machine is posed and it is difficult to promote the convenience for the user mainly using a keyless entry system.
On the other hand, according to a communication system utilizing a portable terminal of a portable telephone or PDA as a portable communication machine as in the keyless entry system of the related art described in Patent References 3, 4, and 5 and the vehicular information confirming system of the related art described in Patent Reference 7, there is a possibility of capable of unifying respective exclusive portable communication machines of a keyless entry system and a vehicular information confirming system to a portable terminal. However, according to a portable terminal of a portable telephone or the like, in comparison with an exclusive portable communication machine, consumption of a battery is considerable. Particularly, it is requested for a portable communication machine of keyless entry to operate for about one year to two years in normal operating state without interchanging the battery. According to the portable terminal, consumption of a battery is considerable by a situation of using other than a keyless entry function or the vehicular information confirming function to pose a problem that the battery needs to be charged frequently.
Further, all users do not necessarily hold a portable terminal, for example, when a key is intended to deposit to a third party of a family member or an acquaintance or the like, there poses a problem that the portable terminal per se needs to be provided, further, there poses a problem in convenience such that a size of a portable terminal is larger than that of an exclusive portable communication machine, a way of use is more excellent in an exclusive portable communication machine in simply controlling to lock a door.
Further, according to a system of utilizing a portable terminal described in Patent References 3, 4, 5, and 7, it is necessary to match communication systems of a portable terminal and a vehicle-mounted machine to pose a problem that selection of a portable terminal is restricted, or a vehicle-mounted machine needs to be interchanged in conformity with a communication system of a portable terminal.
Further, although according to Patent Reference 8, operation of a vehicle-mounted information apparatus is made to be simple and convenient by utilizing a keyless entry system, wireless communication means of a portable communication machine is limited to a communication system of infrared ray or the like common to a personal computer and a vehicle-mounted machine, and therefore, it is difficult to deal with a radio wave system currently used generally, and a premise is constituted by utilizing receiving means of a vehicle-mounted machine, and therefore, there poses a problem that a special harness is needed for communicating the vehicle-mounted machine and an information apparatus.